Reducing Sugar Intake in Babies: A Key to Preventing Diabetes and Hypertension

Indulging in the occasional sweet treat is unlikely to harm your well-being. However, excessive consumption of added sugar during‍ childhood may lead to health complications later on.
“In the first 1,000 days of life, both the brain and body are in crucial stages of development,” explains Sue-Ellen Anderson-Haynes,⁤ a registered dietician from Boston and spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and⁣ Dietetics. The nutritional intake during ⁤this⁣ period is vital as everything consumed by the mother is ‍converted into nutrients ‍for the fetus.
Current dietary⁤ recommendations suggest that adults limit their added sugar intake to less⁤ than 40 grams per day, while children under 2 ⁣years‍ old ⁤should avoid added sugars altogether. Surprisingly, by age 2, the average American child ⁣consumes around ⁤29 grams of added sugars daily, with adults consuming nearly 80 grams per day.
To investigate the⁣ impact⁢ of‌ excessive sugar consumption early in life, economist Tadeja Gracner from the University of Southern California in Los Angeles and her team utilized a natural experiment following the end of sugar rationing in⁤ post-World War II United Kingdom. During rationing, individuals were allocated approximately 8 ounces (227 grams) of sugar per week. Once ‌rationing ceased in ‌September 1953, daily ⁢sugar ‍intake for adults skyrocketed to about 80 grams.

2024-10-31 13:09:44
Originally published on www.sciencenews.org